New pictures show London is on track for 2012 Olympics

By Daily Mail Reporter
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

When Delhi hosted the Commonwealth Games in October, they cut preparations so fine that they were still laying turf in the athletics stadium hours before events were due to start.

Tied in with a bridge collapse and filthy conditions in the athletes’ village the games looked destined to be remembered more for events off the track rather than on it.

But, as these newly released aerial photos of the London 2012 site show, it appears there will be no such panic when the capital hosts the games.

Taking shape: The Olympic stadium, the centre-piece of the park, is nearing completion - with seats installed and the outline of the track clearly visible

Bird's eye view: The rest of the city stretches into the background as the stadium and aquatics centre dominate the Stratford skyline

Regeneration: The entire Olympic Park and beyond can be seen here, with the media and broadcast centre in the foreground and various venues nearing completion

Eighteen months before competiton gets underway, nearly 75 per cent of construction is now complete, with main venues due to be finished next year ahead of test events.

The pictures were released to tie in with another half-yearly inspection by the International Olympic Committee Co-ordination Commission for London.

Already, from the outside at least, buildings including the media centre, handball and basketball arenas are looking complete.

Distinctive: The iconic roof of the aquatics centre may appear complete, but the scaffolding suggests otherwise

Speed freak: Great Britain will hope to build on its cycling success in the velodrome

And the athletes’ village, the source of so many problems in Delhi, already appears to be catching up with the Indian capital as the high-rise blocks which will house an estimated 10,500 athletes take shape.

Inside the showpiece stadium in Stratford, east London, seats are already installed in some parts while the outline of the track and field can be seen clearly in the mud.

However the curtain wrap that was expected to encase the stadium will now no longer form part of the construction.

Elsewhere, the curved roofs of the velodrome and aquatics centre stand out on the skyline, although the scaffolding around the pool shows there is still work to be done.

Slam dunk: The basketball arena, with its squidgy looking exterior, already appears ready for players and officials

Copper load of this: The roof of the handball arena has been made out of the metal

Speaking about the project, Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: 'This year is the toughest in terms of construction and we are at our busiest.

‘We will enter 2011 with the confidence that more than three quarters of the construction project is complete and that all milestones to date have been achieved.

‘We remain on schedule and within budget but are not complacent about the challenge that lies ahead.’

Despite their still being some way to go with construction on some parts of the Olympic Park, the latest A-Z of the capital has included the 500-acre site in its pages.

The new map of the east end site shows the aquatics centre, velodrome and main stadium as well as updated rail links at Stratford international.

Home to the athletes: Like a small town springing up, the competitors' village will house around 10,500 participants during the Games

And London 2012 chairman Lord Sebastian Coe said: ‘East London is being transformed. Its regeneration is creating a legacy of new communities, new housing, and state-of-the-art sporting facilities that will be used for many years to come.

‘Over the next year, we look forward to seeing the changing London skyline as the Park vision become a reality.’

On the map: The new edition of the London A-Z clearly shows the Olympic Park's 500-acre site

The inspectors will be in the capital between Wednesday and Friday, and with the venues in good shape, are expected to concentrate on the huge amount of operational detail such as ticketing, transport, culture and volunteers as well as the test events.

They will also look for reassurances that the changes to the marathon route are now in place and that organisers are trying to patch up relations with East End councils.

The decision to move the end of the marathon from the Olympic Stadium to the Mall in central London was done with the blessing of the IOC, but Tower Hamlets council is seeking a judicial review of the decision to change the route which has led to their borough missing out.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330290/London-2012-Olympics-New-pictures-stadiums-nearly-ready.html#ixzz15f7PjV8k

Britain's biggest piece of public art, but is this £19m tower of twisted metal a fitting monument for the London 2012 Olympics?

By Paul Harris

From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

It looks like a catastrophic collision between two cranes on the Olympic site.

But this towering, twisted mass of metal will be Britain's lasting monument to the nation's role in hosting the 2012 games.

Turner Prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor unveiled his design for the £19million sculpture yesterday, a ruby red, helter skelter-style structure that, at 377ft, will stand more than twice as tall as Nelson's column.

Scroll down for our video report

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Landmark: The tower has been dubbed the 'Hubble Bubble' by London Mayor Boris Johnson

It was instantly nicknamed the Eyeful Tower - and likened enthusiastically by London Mayor Boris Johnson to a giant 'hubble-bubble' shisha pipe.

But contributors to Twitter and similar internet sites took only minutes to criticise the work. One described it as 'a rollercoaster that costs £19million a go'. Other early phrases included 'twisted spaghetti', 'horrific squiggles' and 'Meccano on crack'.

Work on the officially-named ArcelorMittal Orbit, which will house a restaurant and viewing platform, has yet to start - and it still needs planning permission.

About 700 visitors an hour will be able to visit the site next to the 193 feet high Olympic stadium. The tower will have a viewing platform and an outdoor walkway.

At its unveiling today, Kapoor, 56, said it was 'thrilling' to be offered the chance to create for the capital something on a par with what Gustave Eiffel made in Paris

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Britian's biggest piece of public art: At 115 metres high, the steel tower will be taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York

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'It would be terribly arrogant to compete with Eiffel who spent his entire life making that thing,' said Kapoor. 'What we’re trying to make is the best thing we can do'.

The artist sees his looping, deep red-coloured tower as 'an eccentric structure that looks as if it’s going to fall over'.

It is being created with the aid of Cecil Balmond, deputy chairman of Arup engineers, with whom Kapoor created the red trumpet, Marsyas, for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in 2002.

Financing deals have been signed between principal backer Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate who is the fifth richest man in the world, who has committed £16million towards the £19.1million cost, and Mr Johnson, who dreamed up the project.

Bemused: Boris Johnson tries to make sense of the tower, which he likened to a shisha pipe

It is hoped work will begin within weeks on what officially will be called the ArcelorMittal Orbit.

Mr Johnson said: 'Some will say we are nuts - in the depths of a recession - to be building Britain’s biggest ever piece of public art.

'But Tessa Jowell [the Olympics minister] and I are certain that this is the right thing for the Stratford site, in Games time and beyond.'

Mr Mittal, whose company will supply much of the 1,400 tons of steel, said he had wanted to give 'a lasting gift' to the 'wonderful” city' where he has lived since 1997.

Amusing: Businessman Lakshmi Mittal (right) jokes with Mr Johnson at City Hall before unveiling a scale model of the proposed ArcelorMittal Orbit tower

Towering: Architect Anish Kapoor with the scale model of the tower. The full-size structure will be sited next to the Olympic stadium for the 2012 games

Royal Mail first class postage stamps launched for London 2012 Olympic Games

First-class stamps which champion the different Olympic and Paralympic sports at the London 2012 Games have been unveiled. Each stamp is designed by a leading artist. The first set of ten stamps go on sale on October 22. Artists are designing images of another 20 sports for stamps that will go on sale in 2010 and 2012. Aquatics is illustrated with an image of a diver by Julian Opie

An action-packed illustration of canoe slalom by John Royle

A shuttlecock by David Holmes was used as the image for badminton

Weightlifting is illustrated by Guy Billout

A track athletics collage by Nathalie Guinamard

Picture: PA

Basketball by Huntley Muir

Picture: PA

The judo image was drawn by Paul Slater

Picture: PA

Paralympic archery illustrated by George Hardie

Picture: PA

Boccia is illustrated by David Doyle

Paralympic Equestrian by Andrew Davidson